Posted on 04/20/2010 8:39:41 PM PDT by neverdem
A new Princeton University study is raising new questions about the influence that the long-term consumption of high fructose corn syrup (hfcs) might be having on our country's obesity epidemic.
In a study published online on Feb. 26 by Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior journal, researchers from Princeton University studied rats and hfcs.
The study found rats that consumed water sweetened with hfcs, in addition to a diet of rat chow, gained "significantly more weight" than rats who consumed water sweetened with regular table sugar and rat food.
Interestingly enough, the concentration of the hfcs in the rats' water was only about half of what is found in most sodas, while the concentration of the table sugar water was equal to most sodas. How about them apples?
According to the study, every single rat in the hfcs group became obese compared to the table sugar group. Those hfcs-fed rats didn't just get fat. In addition to the weight gain, the hfcs-fed rats also experienced abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and an increase in circulating blood fats called triglycerides, which increases risk of heart attack, stroke, heart disease, pancreatitis and other ailments.
This study was the first of its kind to examine the long-term health effects of high fructose corn syrup. The results should fly in the face of people from the corn industry who have been saying that hfcs is no different than any other sweetener.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the obesity rates in the United States have skyrocketed since the introduction of hfcs 40 years ago.
Granted, this isn't the only factor in the obesity epidemic because daily activity has also been on the decline since the 1970s. But we can't ignore that hfcs is a cheap and easy way to produce sweetener that has found its way into virtually every type of food and drinks including juice drinks, sodas, breads, cereals, cookies and frozen meals.
In my experience, while my typical client isn't really eating more volume than Americans were 40 years ago, they are eating more processed, calorie-dense foods that contain high amounts of hfcs.
When we eliminate these foods from their diet and replace them with whole food selections, while actually increasing their caloric intake, they lose weight.
So is this study the final word in the high fructose corn syrup debate?
No, but it does give a strong point of focus on what some of the factors are that influence obesity in the United States. Hopefully, we will see more research like this, and we'll finally start to get this problem under control. And hopefully, we'll then reverse the trend.
What we can't have is certain people in the food industry continuing to misinform the public, and deny any link between their products and our nation's physical condition.
I've heard some of these people say that we have a choice to eat what we want, but do we really? With marketing budgets in the billions of dollars, the sales pitch for the unhealthiest, highest profit-making products is being heard loud and clear. Anyone remember the "Eat 5 a Day For Better Health" campaign from the federal health agencies? Probably not. It got buried under ads for things like fast food kid's meals and cookies.
Americans need to eat better and to move more in order to live their best life in the healthiest body possible. It's not a fair fight when our food manufacturers appear to put profits before the health of the people who buy their products and believe that their best interests are being looked after. I would encourage the food industry to take the findings from this and future studies and use it to make better products that will support the health and wellbeing of our nation. The American public deserves the best you have to offer.
Head over to my blog www.hometeamfitnessblog .com to watch a special video sharing a low-calorie snack that you can find in an unlikely place.
Chad Smith is co-owner of Home Team Fitness. Visit his Web site www.hometeamfitnessblog
Pretty soon we will all have the same thing to eat for each meal of the day, seven days a week. That is, unless you work for the government.
I’ve always said HFCS was evil. Regular natural sugar doesn’t have near the bad effects.
People think I’m crazy, but obsessively reading ingredients labels has prevented me from buying hfcs-included food.
This stuff, hfcs, is in damn near everything!
I am sure High Fructose isnt good for you, But the main problem is that plenty of folks will grab a donut and a 48oz coke for breakfast..
Duh...
I see people gobble up cookies that say “FAT FREE” and they wonder why they have a weight problem.
I remember in my 20s I decided to give up soda. I used to drink about 4 Cokes or Pepsis a day. I was slim anyway (5’4”, 120) but when I gave up the sodas I dropped 5 more lbs immediately.
Bump
Mase, please pick up the red courtesy phone.
This article may pique your scientific bent, after all, you are constantly poo-pooing we who have suspicions about HFCS.
HFCs stared in 1957
Three bowls of rice a day should do it. Maybe on Sunday we can have a little gravy over it.
too much rat food causes obesity, too
and it sure must taste like c-r-#-p
Rat studies are problematic. For all we can tell from this, the HFCS may appeal far more to the rat sense of taste than does sucrose (to humans the two have approximately the same flavor). Also can rats efficiently digest sucrose the way humans can?
Oh, And, Obomba will make sure everyone has a rice cooker!
“Pretty soon we will all have the same thing to eat for each meal of the day, seven days a week. That is, unless you work for the government.”
You will learn to enjoy your quota of rat food and table sugar, comrade!/s;)
Gubmint Gruel
Actually, the factual information about high-fructose corn syrup has been out and publicly available for a very long time. It’s nothing new.
The problem is, just like sugar it is included in all kings of foods you wouldn’t normally expect to find it in, like soups and yogurt.
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Yes Mother Superior. Just don't send me to one of those re-education camps. [cowering in the fetal position at the feet of Mother Superior, trying to stop a yet non-existent whipping.]
I agree, HFCS is NOT fit for human consumption !
I personally need to be very careful in order to keep my triglycerides down. On the drinks I consume it is either water or cold green tea (not Lipton but Itoen from Japan). Breakfast is fruit and nuts (not the California type LOL), lunch is a small meat, salad and dinner, I try to have some fresh fruit, a different type of salad.
Before last Summer, I did all sorts of sweet drinks and other crappy foods. I also had a high blood pressure issue and high cholesterol. In mid May, weather got nice and I started to do biking and cut the drinks and sugared items. I got rid of 25 lbs and at the end of the Summer, my cholesterol went down from 238 to 172. I also dealt with fatty liver as well. If you do a Google search on the terms of : “corn syrup” and “liver” and there are many references to liver damage and liver like a liver of a drinker.
What I understand HFCS is processed differently by the body versus regular sweets. Nasty stuff and we should not be listening to the Corn Syrup lobby. I would not be a bit surprised the corn lobby push Congress to keep sugar prices high.
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